The National Aids Commission (NAC) on Monday, September 2, 2024 held an acquaintance meeting with Ministries, Agencies and Commission (MACs) HIV focal persons to discuss strategies or innovative ways to improve related activities.
Given the purpose of the meeting, NAC Commissioner for Partnership Tracy N. P Kyne said the commission still needs the collaboration of all members of the MACs to make sure that all government ministries and agencies are fighting against HIV/AIDS and how they are dealing with this situation at work places.
She said there have been gaps in capacity building as it has been long since any kind of training was conducted for MACs, stressing the importance to sit and discuss necessary trainings that should be prioritized for MACs members.
For her part, NAC Chairperson Dr. Cecelia J. Nuta said the new commissioners were excited to meet with members of MACs HIV focal persons for the first time since they took over in May 2024. Dr. Nuta said the MACs members’ role in the country HIV response is critical, especially at a time when they are working to ensure zero stigma and discrimination in all forms while working to end AIDS as public health threat by 2030.
The NAC Boss said addressing stigma and discrimination in the workplace is key to achieving the goals of the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan II (2021-2026) and other policy documents to fast-track HIV interventions.
She said the Commission is counting on them to champion the implementation of the HIV workplace policy and the zero discrimination action plans at their various institutions; adding HIV is visible at the workplace but little is being done.
“The 2022 stigma index survey conducted by the Liberia Network of persons living with HIV indicated that 44.8 percent of persons living reported being unemployed with women reporting higher rate compared to men,” she said.
NAC Chairperson Nuta said the meeting was to allow them discuss how the coalition can strategically work to mainstream HIV at their various institutions.
